Many of us have made simple decisions which changed our lives. It could be as simple as turning right
instead of left at an intersection or
saying "Yes" rather than "No" to an invitiation. For many of us, that change happened after reading a book.
Things weren't quite the same. We saw things differently, we found ourselves wondering different thoughts,
we made decisions for different reasons. We were imbued with a sense of wonder. This series takes a look
at the books that had such an impact.

Close To My Heart: Moon of Three Rings by Andre Nortona review by J.G. Stinson
"It's often been said that the golden age of science fiction is 12, referring to the age at which many readers first discovered it. SF
came into my life in junior high school, in the 8th grade, when I found two books. One was an anthology that contained Alfred
Bester's "The Stars My Destination," and the other was Andre Norton's story about a woman who could summon magic and a spacer who
was transformed."

Close To My Heart: Dune by Frank Herberta review by Alma A. Hromic
"The original Dune was published in 1965; its two sequels, completing the original trilogy, followed over the
next decade, with Children of Dune making an appearance in 1979. I was two when the first book was published,
thirteen by the time the third one came out, and fourteen when I first crossed paths with Herbert's world."

Close To My Heart: New Worlds: An Anthology edited by Michael Moorcocka review by Martin Lewis
"I'm still not entirely sure what this book was doing in my school library. That was the original 1983 edition,
of course, already ten years old by the time I came to read it. Presumably it was part of some job lot of
paperbacks donated to the school because I can't imagine our librarian actively acquiring it. However it got
there though, it was far more attractive than the books that surrounded it."

Close To My Heart: The Scherezade Machine by Robert Sheckleya review by Trent Walters
The book that changed Trent's life (not to mention the world's) was Robert Sheckley's The Scherezade Machine -- what they
later called a "sleeper."
He hadn't heard about it before when he found it in the Barnes and Noble bargain bin. There were a few enthusiastic quotes
on the back that were interesting...

Close To My Heart: Red Planet by Robert A. Heinleina review by Rodger Turner
All Jim Marlowe wants is to leave for school. As a colonist on Mars, that can be a bit of trial. He has to travel to the
other side of the planet via the ice canal schooners. He is packed, his Martian "bouncer" Willis is frolicking about
and mimicking those conversations around him. His Mom is weepy, his dad is proud to see him off. Jim is
glad to be getting a chance to further his studies while his family is planning their annual migration to another sector.

Close To My Heart: Robert Silverberg's Worlds of Wonder edited by Robert Silverberga review by Matthew Cheney
What made this book different, and made it the first anthology Matthew would read cover-to-cover, was the power of Silverberg's
voice, the authority with which he expressed and justified his opinions, and the excellence of his selection. Thirteen
stories are each followed by an essay in which the Silverberg explains why the story is a model of how to write science
fiction.

Close To My Heart: Genesis by W.A. Harbinsona review by Nathan Brazil
At its heart is the question of who builds flying saucers and where they come from. The characters
and plot, while hugely entertaining and well written, are subservient to this central enigma. The author's approach was
to tell the story from three sides, with the viewpoint shifting between Epstein and Stanford, an old scientist and his
young sidekick who are eager to solve the mystery, Richard Watson, a student who is abducted and subject mind control
experimentation, and Aldridge, an American traitor whose icy genius almost won WW II for Nazi Germany.